If multiple people are continuing to miss a point you think you've made, perhaps consider if you've properly communicated your point before moving directly to pretentiousness.

The best orientation for capturing sound the ear canal is to keep the ear straight from lobe to tip. (across the pitch axis at least, that's the rotation that enables nodding).

As you pitch forward or backward you start to capture less and less of the sound across the plane the brain expects sound to be coming from.

If you have your head pitched backwards by~ 70-90 degrees (as if you were looking directly down your nose at someone in front of you) you will struggle to hear/understand what is being said, especially from directly in front of you.

Perhaps there's a metaphor in there somewhere, maybe even tree related, as that seems to be the theme.

Good luck with your imaginary forest.